Vivisection

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps she has recently taken to limit the practice of vivisection; and whether she has satisfied herself that there is no duplication in research and experiments causing unnecessary suffering to animals.

The use of animals in experiments is subject to the provisions of the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department. I have no statutory powers in this matter. I have no reason to suppose that there is any significant risk of duplication in research or of unnecessary repetition of experiments.